T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
disabilities are indeed more! A Southern California native, Jennifer moved across country in her early 20s to Washington, D.C. She received her Master of Arts in Education and Human Development degree from George Washington University, where she also gained expertise in vocational evaluation, traumatic brain injury and autism spectrum disorder. From an early age, Jennifer has been passionate about people with disabilities and volunteered her time serving in the Best Buddies Program in high school and as a leader in a disability partnership program with the volunteer and service center on her college campus. However, her journey eventually led her to working at a police department, which she did while obtaining her undergraduate degree in criminal justice. While doing this work, something inside began to shift for Jennifer and she shared, “I realized then my heart was hardening and the compassionate side of me was fading. I realized my heart wasn’t in law enforcement like it once was and I decided to try to make a career out of the volunteerism I had always loved.” With her mission in life revealed more clearly, she soon became the manager of the Goodwill of Greater Washington Vocational Rehabilitation Services and was responsible for disability employment operat ions , including launching a new model project search program for transitioning aged youth with disabilities at the Department of Education,
the Department of Interior and George Washington University. She discovered her passion lay in education, advocacy and reform and her true gifting was in educating individuals about the abilities of individuals with disabilities, veterans and individuals with other barriers, as this is the way change and progress can truly occur. She wrote programs, curricula, websites, training modules and led committees to move her mission forward. These programs both assisted individuals with disabilities in gaining independence and educating the non-disabled community on integration, accommodations and debunking disability myths. Whi l e Jenni fer was thr i v ing professional ly, something new and completely surprising was about to happen for her on a personal level. In 2014, a friend invited her to Ashdown, Arkansas, to be Maid of Honor in her wedding. There, she met Trey, who later became her husband. They attempted a long-distance relationship, but after a while it was obvious it was time to go all in. “I decided to quit my job, sell my apartment and move to Foreman [Arkansas] to give it a go.” It is now seven years later, and Trey and Jennifer have been married for five years and they have two children, Lily, who is four, and Wyatt, who is two. In 2016, Jennifer accepted the CEO position at Texarkana Resources for Disabled, Inc. The center is the outgrowth of a program established over 50 years
Darla Mattson is someone whose life has been changed through the Texarkana Resource Center. Mattson came to the Ross Parker Training Center in 2020. She wanted to gain employment skills to obtain a job in the community so she could live as independently as possible. After a year of training, she transitioned to the supported employment program in 2021. Mattson loves animals and wanted to find a job where she could work around animals while also earning a livable wage. She applied for many jobs, and Wisdom Animal Clinic hired her. After working there 90 days, she loves it and has successfully exited our program as an independent individual working in the community. Mattson shared, “Texarkana Resources taught me to listen and helped me learn new tasks. I wanted to work in the community with animals and make my own money. Texarkana Resources Supported Employment Specialist helped me write a resume, practice my interview skills and apply for a job at Wisdom Animal Clinic. Once they hired me, it was easy for me to prove my work ethic with the things I learned from Texarkana Resources while training. Now I work out on my own and have achieved my professional work goals.”
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C OMM U N I T Y & C U L T U R E
C O MM U N I T Y & C U L T U R E
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